NILE Ranger will play a part in Swindon Town’s clash with Coventry City tomorrow, providing he can keep himself out of trouble for the next 24 hours.

The enigmatic striker, whose recent absences from training have driven Town manager Mark Cooper to despair, has an unblemished attendance record this week and if that continues the former Newcastle man could well lead the Swindon frontline for the visit of the Sky Blues.

Given Ranger’s well-documented past, however, Cooper is in no place to pick his team too far in advance of Saturday’s 3pm kick-off.

When asked by the Advertiser whether he had a target man available to him this weekend, Cooper said: “We’ve got one in the building that so far this week has been a good boy and I wouldn’t really class the others as target men.

“I certainly hope he’ll be involved but it’s a long time in Nile’s life between now and Saturday.

“We’re trying to get him to behave like a normal human being and get the best out of him.”

Ranger, who is due to go on trial on a rape charge on January 20, has scored six goals in 17 appearances for Town since signing a one-year contract at the County Ground over the summer.

He was dropped from the Swindon squad after missing a number of training sessions last month but returned as a substitute in the 3-1 victory over Carlisle on November 30.

Since then, however, Ranger’s indiscipline has reared its ugly head once again and he was omitted from the party which travelled to Sheffield last weekend.